Still on the chilly side

11:00 AM. Photo: Jeffrey Hirsch.

Tuesday, April 23, 2013. Another sunny bright beautiful Spring day in New York; still on the chilly side but beauty abounding in the trees, in the parks.

Early Springtime through the trees.

Waiting in traffic for the cab to turn on 61st Street and Park Avenue at 12:50. I couldn't resist the shot either, although the actual site is more spectacularly fresh, lush and delicate than my camera conveys.

Many kind and thoughtful readers have written in to inquire about the health of my friend and Shih-tzu, Missy a/k/a Madame who evidently had a bout of gastroenteritis a couple of Sundays ago. After our (costly) visit to the vet, and without giving her any of her prescriptions, her conditioned turned around within hours. I think she’s a little like me: a visit to the doc is sometimes the cure, at least for the head. By evening she was taking little bits of freshly roasted chicken and finally I just chopped some up with rice and she wolfed it down, then looking up at me as if to say: “Where’s the rest of it?” (with a wag of the tail). When she had her walks later that night, she pulled me down the avenue, as is her wont. When I told her of the NYSD interest in her, she wondered if it involved treats.

Today is the birthday of my friend Beth DeWoody. We have known each other longer than many people we know have been alive. That’s youthful endurance. I mention Beth on this day because she has, through her friendship, shed great and positive influence on my life, especially in the last two decades here in New York. Although she gave my professional career a kick-start long before.


	The birthday girl.

She is a catalyst by nature although she’s known, and expresses it, as an art collector in today’s world. We rarely see each other although her apartment is right around the corner from me. Mainly because she’s peripatetic.

If I were to imagine, without asking, where she was, I’d have her on a plane heading somewhere exotic. As a result she has friends all over the world.

She recently married the photographer/ portraitist Firooz Zahedi. Firooz’ home base has been in L.A. for a long time, so Beth’s putting down a footprint there, as she has in Palm Beach, Southampton and with artists all over the world. The other night down at Capitale, BOMB Magazine honored her along with her daughter Kyle DeWoody at their annual gala benefit. They knew what they were talking about. Happy Birthday Beth XX!

Last night in New York, the party was the Society of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center’s annual Spring Ball. This year it was held at the Temple of Dendur in the Sackler Wing of the Metropolitan Museum. This is always a glamorous affair, black tie, because many of the women who belong to SMSKC, are some of the most fashionable women in New York today.

The women of the SMSKC work hard at their tasks. You can’t belong if you don’t. They not only raise a lot of funds for the Center and its programs but they volunteer a lot of their time to make things work. This is the 6th annual Spring Ball and since its inception, they’ve raised more than $8 million for leading patient care, education, and research programs.

The three co-chairs for the evening just before the photographers' portrait, in front of the Harry Winston staircase (for the occasion).

The dance floor ready for Astaire and Rogers. Although at first I thought it was water. Looking out on Central Park. The tallest building that you can see through the glass is 1040 Fifth Avenue where Jackie Onassis lived.

This year’s co-chairs were Shelley Carr, Julia Koch and Karen LeFrak. The evening was sponosored by Harry Winston, Inc – notice the inititals on the candlelit main staircase. After the dinner there was a special performance by Diana Krall.

There were more than 400 guests, including: Jeff and Caryn Zucker, Tory Burch, Zac Posen, David and Julia Koch, Richard and Karen LeFrak, Brad Comisar, Tara and Michael Rockefeller, Dayssi Kanavos, Muffie Potter Aston and Dr. Sherrell Aston, Baird and Alexia Hamm Ryan, Jay Diamond and Alexandra Lebenthal, Jean and Martin Shafiroff, Amanda Ross, Wilbur and Hilary Geary Ross, Michael and Eleanora Kennedy, Paula Zahn, Michel Witmer, Graziano and Valerie de Boni, Michael and Shelley Carr, Joanne and Roberto de Guardiola, Dr. Annette Rickel, Charlie and Sara Ayres, Annabel Tollman, Stephen and Kitty Sherrill, Jamie Niven, Jamie Tisch, Harriet and Ron Weintraub, Perri Peltzand Eric Ruttenberg, Shoshanna Gruss, Mark Gilbertson.

The co-chairs: Karen LeFrak, Julia Koch, and Shelley Carr.

Lisa McCarthy and Libby Fitzgerald.

Caroline Dean and Shelley Carr.

Muffie Potter Aston, Caryn Zucker, and Alex Lebenthal.

Dr. Sherrell Aston, Jamie Gregory and Michael Kennedy.

Eleanora Kennedy and Peter Gregory.

Heather Leeds and Michael Carr.

Michael Rockefeller and Mark Gilbertson.

A night of glamour for a June mom.

Ruffles and flourishes ...

Lottie Oakley and Amanda Brooks.

Chiu-Ti Jansen and Geoffrey Bradfield.

Gigi Mortimer and Allure editor Linda Wells.

Libby Fitzgerald talking to Sara Ayres.

Delphine Barguirdjian.

The backstory.

Backstory II.

And three.

And four.

And five and six.

And seven.

And eight.

And nine.

An even ten.

Janna Bullock.

The affianced.

Quest magazine's Lily Hoagland and Michel Witmer.

Dayssi Olarte de Kanavos.

Tory Burch and Zac Posen.

John Gunn and Jennifer Raab.

Mrs. Shafiroff en conversant.

The Met last night at 8:30.

Keeping up with keeping up. Two Sundays ago at Restaurant Daniel, Cheff Daniel Boulud continued his long-time support of Citymeals-on-Wheels with his now famous early Sunday dinner. This year they were also celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Restaurant DANIEL.

In celebration, DANIEL’s current culinary team was joined by Restaurant DANIEL alumni including Chefs Cyrille Allanic (JP Morgan Chase); Dominique Ansel (Dominique Ansel Bakery, NYC); Michael Anthony (Gramercy Tavern); Jonathan Benno (Lincoln Ristorante); Matteo Bergamini (SD26, NYC); Philippe Bertineau (Benoit); Alex Guarnaschelli (Butter, The Darby); Lee Hanson (Balthazar, Minetta Tavern); Johnny Iuzzini (Sugar Fueled INC); Alex Lee (Glen Oaks Country Club); Harold Moore (Commerce); Riad Nasr (Balthazar, Minetta Tavern); François Payard (FP Patisserie); Lior Lev Sercarz (La Boîte à Epice); Bradford Thompson (Bellyfull Consulting, Inc.); and Nicholas Wilber (The Fat Radish). Special guests from the world of wine and cocktails including Markus Draxler (Solex Fine Foods, Catsmo); Xavier Herit (Experimental Cocktail Club); Jean-Luc Le Dû (Le Dû’s Wines); Philippe Marchal (Kobrand Wine & Spirits); and David Newlin (Michael Skurnik Wines) will join Wine Chair Daniel Johnnes, serving the fine wine selections. Was this The New York Cuisine, or what?

Daniel and his staff and his visiting chefs.

150 privileged guests savored the opportunity to indulge at DANIEL, one of New York’s most elegant dining destinations, where they were served a sumptuous multi-course dinner, prepared by Daniel and his guest chefs.

The special guest hosts Al Roker of the Today Show and DANIEL alumna Gail Simmons (Food & Wine and Top Chef) were also the evening's live auctioneers. They raised enough to fund the preparation and delivery of more than 90,000 meals to New York City’s homebound elderly.

Daniel Boulud.

Dominique Ansel.

Philippe Bertineau.

Among this year’s guests: Aliyyah Baylor, Joel Buchman, Cesare Casella, Marjorie Doniger, Tiffany Dubin, Joan Helpern, Suri Kasirer, Margo Nederlander, John Raphael, Marcia snd Myron Stein, Bonnie and Tom Strauss, Donald and Barbara Tober, and Michael Troise.

Robert S. Grimes, a Citymeals board member, served as Co-Chair. Official sponsors were American Airlines and FIJI Water. One hundred percent of ticket and auction proceeds went to support Citymeals and its preparation and delivery of nutritious meals to homebound elderly New Yorkers.

Deborah Roberts, Al Roker, and Beth Shapiro.

Christina Steinbrenner, Mitch Gaynor, and Leslie Perkins.

Robert S. Grimes and Beth Shapiro.

Al Roker and Gail Simmons.

Anne Cohen and Aliyyah Baylor.

Beth Shapiro and Gael Greene.

More catching up. On Tuesday, April 2nd, there was a special screening at the Directors Guild of Decoding Annie Parker. The independent film was written and directed by Steven Bernstein and his inspiration, the real-life Annie Parker. The evening was for cancer survivors in the New York area, along with key representatives and guests from participating cancer organizations – The American Cancer Sociey, Cancer Support Community, CancerCare, FORCE and Sharsheret.

The advance screening was also raising funds for leading cancer fighting organizations and in honor of the film’s storyline – the Discovery of the BRCA1 Gene.

It is the story of Annie Parker – who is played by Samantha Morton, a young woman who watches her mother, then sister, fall victim to breast cancer. Then when she is diagnosed with it, she is determined to fight back. Helen Hunt plays Mary-Claire King PhD, the geneticist whose discovery of the gene is considered one of the most important scientific discoveries of the 20th century.

Jade Duncan, Steven Bernstein, Olivia Rose Kegan, and Annie Parker.

After the screening guests attended a special reception hosted by Omni Hotels & Resorts at their Omni Berkshire Place Hotel in the Fireside Lounge.

Following the New York screening, Decoding Annie Parker will host additional benefit screenings in select cities nationwide to entertain, inform, educate and activate its audience, creating a campaign of goodwill and hope that will leave a lasting legacy. Contributions raised from benefit screenings will go directly to charitable partners to help fund more lifesaving cancer research, provide resources and support to people facing cancer today. To learn more visit www.DecodingAnnieParker.com.